Labor Secretary Nominee Tom Perez v. Alabama

One of the reasons Labor secretary nominee Tom Perez is unqualified to serve in the cabinet is because he cannot represent all Americans fairly. To him, vast sections of the country represent oppressive backwaters that are culturally regressive, racist, and oppressive. The more removed a state is from his progressive ideal, the more it deserves kicks from the boot of government.

Few states have been kicked around by Perez as much as Alabama.

Perez formerly served as head of the pro-illegal alien group Casa de Maryland. As I wrote in my book Injustice:

Perez is a long-time advocate for illegal aliens who served as president of Casa de Maryland, a radical open borders advocacy organization that encourages illegal aliens not to speak with the police and urges local governments not to enforce federal fugitive warrants against them. He also fought to mandate that Mexican identification be recognized as valid photo ID in the United States, even though the documents are so rife with fraud that twenty-two of Mexico’s thirty-two states and districts refuse to recognize the documents.

Perez is proud of his service at Casa, so much so that once he had the power of the federal government behind him, he led the attack on Alabama’s efforts to make the Yellowhammer State inhospitable to those in the United States illegally.

When Alabama cracked down on providing government services to illegal aliens, Perez demanded otherwise: no illegal should be denied public education or benefits, he believes. Perez launched an information shakedown of the state, demanding through letters what should have been sought in litigation.

Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange rightfully opposed the demands.

When local sheriffs made the mistake of asking for guidance from Perez about how to implement the Alabama immigration law, Perez threatened them in a meeting. Memo to state and local officials everywhere: don’t ask for guidance from the DOJ Civil Rights Division. The radicals running the place will take advantage of your good faith and make demands of you that the law does not support.

Perez has also threatened election officials in Alabama, threatening to “bury” the state “with paper” if Alabama did not give in. This is typical of the would-be Labor secretary. Under oath before Congress, he is all smiles, sunshine, and bluebirds; behind closed doors he is a thuggish progressive bureaucrat comfortable wielding power despite what the law says.

This is one reason Perez has resorted to using his Verizon email account at his Takoma Park, Maryland home to conduct Justice Department business. It insulates his behavior from the Freedom of Information Act. But even the Justice Department admits that Perez violated federal records laws in excess of 1,200 times by using his home email to conduct DOJ work. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has subpoenaed his emails, but so far Perez has refused to turn them over. Based on his past behavior, it would surprise nobody if the emails contain more threats to “bury” local government officials or business leaders.

Perhaps that’s why Perez and Justice are fighting so hard to conceal the work Perez conducted in the name of the United States, but behind closed doors in his home: we know how Perez threatens officials in Alabama when he thinks nobody else will hear.

The treatment of Alabama by Tom Perez is part of a cultural disconnect by the progressive left. To them, it is still 1964 in the hearts of Southerners. His vision of an America where pro-life protesters aren’t free to protest and eighth-grade boys can dress in drag in public school is at odds with the culture outside of the big cities in the northeast and the west coast. But as long as Perez has power, whether at DOJ or as secretary of Labor, he will use it to reshape America more to his liking and away from the America precious to the citizens of Alabama.

I will be speaking in Mobile, Alabama, on May 21 at 5:30 p.m. at Wnitzell’s Oyster House at an event sponsored by the Federalist Society Lawyers‘ chapter there: I’ll have lots more to say then about Alabama being in the DOJ crosshairs.